Kids Internet Safety Partnership Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Kids Internet Safety Partnership Act requires the Secretary of Commerce to establish the Kids Internet Safety Partnership within one year and appoint a Director. The Partnership must coordinate with relevant federal agencies, including the FTC, and with stakeholders to identify risks and benefits for minors using websites, online services, online applications, and mobile applications; identify widely accepted or evidence-based best practices for different ages; and preserve beneficial online uses while addressing harms. Within one year after establishment and every two years after that, the Partnership must publish a public report on those risks, benefits, best practices, and the adoption and efficacy of safeguards and parental tools. Within two years, it must publish a playbook for providers and developers covering age verification, age assurance, age estimation, design features, parental tools, default privacy and account settings, reporting systems, third-party safety software, and limits or opt-outs for personalized recommendation systems and chatbots. Stakeholders include academic experts, social media researchers, parents, minors, educators, online platforms, civil society experts in constitutional law, privacy, expression, information access, and civil liberties, and State attorneys general. The Partnership terminates five years after establishment.
Who Benefits and How
Parents and minors benefit from public reports and a provider playbook focused on safeguards, parental tools, privacy settings, reporting systems, and limits on recommendation systems and chatbots. Online safety researchers, educators, State attorneys general, and child-safety advocates benefit from a formal venue to shape best practices. Online platforms and app developers benefit from clearer nonbinding guidance on age-appropriate practices. The FTC and Commerce Department benefit from shared evidence on adoption and efficacy of safeguards.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Commerce Department must create the Partnership, appoint a Director, coordinate agencies and stakeholders, publish recurring reports, and produce the playbook. Online platforms, social media companies, app developers, and online-service providers may face pressure to adopt or explain safety practices from the playbook. Stakeholders must invest time in consultations. Federal taxpayers fund the partnership during its five-year life.
Key Provisions
- Requires Commerce to establish the Kids Internet Safety Partnership within one year and appoint a Director.
- Requires coordination with FTC, federal agencies, academic experts, researchers, parents, minors, educators, platforms, civil society experts, and State attorneys general.
- Requires reports one year after establishment and every two years on online risks, benefits, safeguards, parental tools, and adoption.
- Requires a provider and developer playbook within two years covering age assurance, design features, parental tools, privacy settings, reporting, safety software, recommendations, and chatbots.
- Defines design feature, minor, parent, parental tool, Partnership, Secretary, and verifiable parental consent.
- Terminates the Partnership five years after establishment.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Creates a Commerce Department Kids Internet Safety Partnership for five years to identify online risks and benefits for minors, publish reports, issue a playbook for providers and developers, coordinate with FTC and stakeholders, and define design features and parental tools.
Key Policy Areas
Technology, Children, Consumer Protection, Privacy
Primary Purpose
Creates a Commerce Department Kids Internet Safety Partnership for five years to identify online risks and benefits for minors, publish reports, issue a playbook for providers and developers, coordinate with FTC and stakeholders, and define design features and parental tools.
Policy Domains
Substantive provisions
Identified Gains
- Minors using online services
- Parents
- Educators
- Online safety researchers
- State attorneys general
- Child safety advocates
- Online platforms
Identified Costs
- Commerce Department staff
- Kids Internet Safety Partnership Director
- Online platforms
- App developers
- Social media companies
- Federal taxpayers
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeForwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Mr. Fry (for himself and Mr. Landsman) introduced the following …
Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade.
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Commerce Department staff, Federal Trade Commission
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology